United States v. Clark
445 U.S. 23 · Decided February 26, 1980 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
United States v. Clark was decided on February 26, 1980 by a vote of 7–2. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Thurgood Marshall wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Rights of illegitimates” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 445 U.S. 23 · 100 S. Ct. 895 · 63 L. Ed. 2d 171 · 1980 U.S. LEXIS 82
- Docket number
- 78-1513
- Decided
- February 26, 1980
- Argued
- October 31, 1979
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 7–2
- Majority opinion
- Thurgood Marshall
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Rights of illegitimates
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- 5 U.S.C. § 8331
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Dissent | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority |
Full case caption
United States v. Clark, Guardian
SCDB identifiers: case 1979-042, docket 1979-042-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Rights of illegitimates”
- Califano v. Boles
- Lalli v. Lalli
- Mills v. HabluetzelLaw held unconstitutional
- Trimble v. GordonLaw held unconstitutional
- Fiallo v. Bell
- Pickett v. BrownLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Board of Education of the City School District of New York v. Harris
- Vance v. Terrazas
- Martinez v. California
- California Brewers Assn. v. Bryant
- United States v. Clarke
- Owen v. City of Independence
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error